Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-27
ENGLISH HOME LIFE.
COUNTRY VILLAGE EXISTENCE FROM
AN AMERICAN POINT OF VIEW.

Houses and the Architecture Thereof.
The English "Kitchener''-The Eatuti-
nal Neal of Tea-The Process of Butter
ing the Bread-'Grace.''
The houses in Eldon are built of brick and
are mostly of dingy cream color. Their
architecture is severely simple No @gaudy
abodes" offend the eve The windows are
guiltless of outside blinds, and therefore no
contrasting color mars the universal cream.
pears, clumsy and ugly, and below it the
equally inevitable half curtain of lace or
muslin.
The upper windows are graced by the
white pine back Of dressing case, which,
for some reason known only to the British
mind, is always placed there. The only re-
deeming feature of these houses is the pro-
fusion of flowers by which they are sur
rounded.
From the front doorway of each house a
neatly kept walk extends to the gate bor-
dered on either side by strip of velvety
lawn, broken by circular beds of flowers, the
whole inclosed by the regulation hawthorn
hedge. In front of this hedge, between it
and the pavement" as an English sidewalk
is called, stands 'paling" or fence of rough,
implanted board, worm eaten, weatherbeaten
and decayed-such a fence as a Chelsea me
chanic would blush to see inclosing his back
yard. but in no way homogeneous to the taste
of London business man.
THE ENGLISH KITCHENER"
Having for several weeks enjoyed the privi-
lege Of obtaining board and residence" in
one of these Eldon houses. we became toler-
ably familiar with the inhabitants and their
mode of living. As regards conveniences in
the way of doing the necessary work of a
house, England is still in the dark ages The
worst thing, perhaps, is the kitchener" a
sort of range, which any American house
keeper would annihilate after one trial 1t
is made of iron, and built into the shallow
fireplace, from which it does not project at
all. a tiny fire box, with an open CRATE in
the front that cannot be closed sends out an
intense heat over a space about a foot square.
and diffuses a mild warmth over the rest.
The hot-water tank is a square box inside the
kitchener" on the left of the fire box, and
the other occupies similar position on the
right
There are no pipes to convey the water to
any other part of the house, the only means
of obtaining it being through faucet pro-
jecting from the front of the 'kitchener"
The latter is provided with several "lids,"
but the one over the firebox is the only one
where sufficient heat to boil water can be
had.
There are no screens for doors or windows.
Flies, wasps and earwigs have free access.
The latter are an uncomfortable pest. They are
everywhere in countless myriatls Before
dressing in the morning it IS necessary to
carefully inspect each article OF clothing. or
run the risk Of several sharp nips from the
earwiGs' formidable forceps.
We quite agree with the queens CORE
spondent in her statement that coffee. brown
bread, pork and beans and dougbnuts are
a bilious Diet" still we can manage TO digeSS
at least a portion Of them once a week. But
when it comes to sitting down to the regular
English matutinal meal of tea, bacon. fish
cake and marmalade 500 days in the year.
we shudder at the thought of the result. We
confess a preference for a genuine
American breakfast, consisting of q Juicy
steak, baked potatoes and snowy rolls hot
from the oven, fanked by such delicious
coffee as England never saw, and delicate
cakes, with golden maple honey that liter
ally melt in tie mouth"